CALLER: Hi. Yeah. I was calling to see if you guys do abortions there.

CLINIC: Um-hmm.

CALLER: How much does it cost for that?

CLINIC: Three hundred and twenty dollars.

CALLER: The thing is, I’m going to be 14 later on this month, and my friend told me that you guys would have to tell my parents. But my boyfriend’s 22. Could he just take care of it, and you wouldn’t have to tell anybody?

CLINIC: No. You’re going to have to tell your parents.

CALLER: Oh.

CLINIC: You’re 13?

CALLER: Yeah. Well, I’ll be 14 on the 19th.

CLINIC: I said but you are 13?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: And your boyfriend’s 22?

CALLER: Uh-huh.

CLINIC: Yeah, your parents are going to have to know either way.

CALLER: Why?

CLINIC: Huh?

CALLER: Well, is there any way not to have to tell them?

CLINIC: No. You are a minor.

CALLER: But they can’t find out.

CLINIC: How else they’re not going to find out?

CALLER: Well, I don’t know.

CLINIC: No. They’ll find out because you are 13 and a very, very young minor, okay? And there’s a possibility that they will prosecute your boyfriend.

CALLER: Why?

CLINIC: Because he’s 22.

CALLER: Well, they know him. I mean, he works with my dad. They know we’re going out. They just don’t know we’re having sex. I mean, if they knew about that, I don’t know what they would do. They can’t find out at all.

CLINIC: Well, you’re going to have to tell them because you’re 13. Nobody’s going to see you without a parent’s consent. So you need to just plan on telling them.

CALLER: So there’s nowhere else I could go?

CLINIC: No.

CALLER: Could I come in there for a pregnancy test just to make sure I am pregnant?

CLINIC: It cost you $10.

CALLER: Well, my boyfriend said he would pay for everything.

CLINIC: But you can get one over the counter.

CALLER: Are those usually right?

CLINIC: Yeah.

CALLER: Oh. Well, if it turned out that I wasn’t pregnant, could I come and get birth control from you guys?

CLINIC: You’ll have to go to Planned Parenthood, and your parents would have to sign for you. You’re 13.

CALLER: My parents would have to know if I was on birth control too?

CLINIC: You’ll have to talk to Planned Parenthood about that. So if you find out that you’re not pregnant, then you want to get birth control pills, you’ve got to go through Planned Parenthood. We don’t do that.

CALLER: All right.

CLINIC: Okay?

CALLER: Okay. Well, if I had any other questions, could I call and talk to you? What was your name?

CLINIC: We don’t give out names here. But anybody that answers the phone can help you.

Listen to the Call:

Transcript:

CLINIC: Thank you for calling Indianapolis Appointment Center. How may I help you?

CALLER: Hi. Yeah. I was calling to see if you guys do abortions there.

CLINIC: Yes, we do.

CALLER: How much does it cost for that?

CLINIC: What was the starting date of your last menstrual period?

CALLER: January 3rd.

CLINIC: Okay. That will put you approximately seven weeks of your last menstrual period. The fee will be 350.

CALLER: All right. I’m going to be 14 later on this month, and my friend told me that you guys would have to tell my parents. But my boyfriend’s 22. Is he old enough to take care of it, and you wouldn’t have to tell anybody?

CLINIC: No. It’s the law. You have to bring your parent or guardian.

CALLER: Oh. Well, is there any way not to have to tell them? They can’t find out at all.

CLINIC: No.

CALLER: Oh.

CLINIC: (Talking to someone else) Do you know anywhere where you don’t have to have parental consent?

No, I’m sorry.

CALLER: Well, what should I do?

CLINIC: Probably want to discuss it with your parents.

CALLER: But I can’t tell them. I mean, they can’t find out at all.

Well, could I come in there for a pregnancy test without you guys telling anybody because I haven’t had one of those yet.

CLINIC: Um-hmm.

CALLER: And you wouldn’t have to tell anybody?

CLINIC: Hold on.

(Pause)

CLINIC: No, not if you come in for a pregnancy test. No, we don’t.

CALLER: Oh, okay. Well, if it turned out that I wasn’t pregnant, could I get birth control from you guys?

CLINIC: No. You’d have to go see your doctor.

CALLER: But would he have to tell my parents if I was on birth control?

CLINIC: I don’t know.

(Talking to someone else) Would her doctor have to tell her parents if she was on birth control?

I don’t know.

(Talking to someone else) She said she’s going to be 14.

He probably would.

CALLER: Oh, okay.

CLINIC: All right?

CALLER: I’m just really confused. If I thought of any other questions to ask, could I talk to you? What was your name?

CLINIC: Greetings. You have reached Midtown Planned Parenthood Health Center. We are located at 3219 North Meridian Street. And that’s right across the street from Wynona Hospital. Our office hours are Monday and Wednesday, 10:30 to 7:00. Tuesday and Thursday are walk-in days. Tuesday’s walk-in hours are 8:30 to 5:00 and Thursday is 9:30 to 5:00. And that is offered on a first come, first serve basis. On Fridays and Saturdays we’re open from 8:30 to 1:30. Pregnancy tests are done on a walk-in basis for a fee of $5. Family service planning is offered on a walk-in basis Tuesday and Thursday of each week. Family service plannings are by appointments on all the other days. To make a family planning appointment, please press 2. To make an HIV test appointment, please press 3. For other information stay on the line or press zero for an operator. (dial sound)

Please hold while your call is being transferred to Extension number 2000. (ringing 1X)

Planned Parenthood. Can I help you?

CALLER: Hi. Yeah. I was wondering if you guys do abortions there?

CLINIC: No. I can give you the number to the clinic that does.

CALLER: All right.

CLINIC: You ready?

CALLER: Yeah.

CLINIC: 352-1900.

CALLER: Okay. Well, do you know — like I’m just really worried because like my friend said that since like I’m going to be 14 in March that they would have to tell my parents I’m getting an abortion. But my boyfriend’s 22. Is it all right if he just signs whatever it is and they wouldn’t have to tell anybody anything?

CLINIC: Hold on for one second. (pause) Okay, thanks for holding. Can I help you?

CALLER: Yeah. I was asking if you would have to tell my parents I was getting an abortion.

CLINIC: Okay. That number I gave you, the 352-1900, would actually be able to answer any questions that you might have about that.

CALLER: It’s just I’m really scared because I haven’t had my period since like December 21st and I don’t know what to do.

CLINIC: Yeah. They will be able to give you all that information there.

CALLER: OH. Well, could I come in there for a pregnancy test though and see?

CLINIC: Have you not already had a pregnancy test?

CALLER: No.

CLINIC: You can walk in for a pregnancy test, yes.

CALLER: Well, would it be all right if my boyfriend was there with me? I would just feel better that way.

CLINIC: That’s fine.

CALLER: But we were talking about everything, and we didn’t want anyone to know about us. Would you guys have to have him sign anything? He said he was going to pay for everything, but would he have to sign for something?

CLINIC: If you’re just getting a pregnancy test, you can just come in and do that. You don’t need to have a consent or anything like that. But as far as the termination goes, you would need to contact the clinic at the number I had given you and they’d be able to help you with that.

CALLER: Okay. Well, if it turned out that I wasn’t pregnant, do you guys have birth control there?

CLINIC: Yeah. We have birth control.

CALLER: Oh. Well, would you have to tell anybody that I was on birth control though?

CLINIC: Have you already had a pelvic exam somewhere?

CALLER: No.

CLINIC: Never? Have you ever had one?

CALLER: No.

CLINIC: Okay. Hold on for a second. (pause) Okay, thank you for holding. If your tests came back that you were not pregnant, then you’d have to have a parent or guardian sign for you to start on some birth control.

CALLER: Oh, really?

CLINIC: You would have to go ahead with your exam.

CALLER: Oh, okay. All right. So all right then.

CLINIC: So did you want to come in for the pregnancy test? You know you can walk in for that, and we’re open until 5:00. You’d have to be here at least by 4:30.

CALLER: Okay. Well, could I call my boyfriend and see if he had any questions and call you back? What was your name?

CLINIC: That’s fine. You can talk with anybody at the clinic actually.

CALLER: Okay. Well do you know — like my friend told me that since I’ll be 14 in March that you guys have to have my parents sign some stuff. But my boyfriend’s 22. Could he sign whatever?

CLINIC: No. State of Indiana — it’s nothing to do with us — state of Indiana you have to be 18 years of age to have an abortion without parent consent.

CALLER: Well, is there any way not to tell my parents, because well if they found out I don’t know what would happen.

CLINIC: There is nothing in Indiana that you can have it done without being 18 or older without parental consent.

CALLER: Well, what could I do? They can’t find out at all.

CLINIC: Hold on just a second, okay?

CALLER: All right.

CLINIC: (pause) Okay, ma’am.

CALLER: Uh-huh.

CLINIC: Okay, really the only two things that you can do is, you would have to go to court to try to get the guardianship taken away from your parents. That would be the only thing that you could do. Now there are –

CLINIC: The only other thing is, you know, every state has their own laws of what the age has to be.

CALLER: Uh-huh.

CLINIC: If you call the number I gave you — do you know that you are pregnant?

CALLER: Well, I don’t know. I guess.

CLINIC: Have you taken a pregnancy test?

CALLER: Well, I took a home pregnancy test over the weekend, but I wasn’t sure if I did it right.

CLINIC: What did it say?

CALLER: It was positive.

CLINIC: Okay. You know –

CALLER: Would there be any way to come in there and get a pregnancy test from you guys just to make sure?

CLINIC: Yeah. You can come in and get a test done. It’s a $5 charge.

CALLER: Okay.

CLINIC: And then we would be able to tell you. Are you late? I mean, how late are you?

CALLER: Well, like my last period was like the second week in December.

CLINIC: Okay.

CALLER: Is it all right if my boyfriend brings me?

CLINIC: Yeah, that’s fine.

CALLER: And you guys wouldn’t have to tell anybody that I was there at all?

CLINIC: If you’re just getting a pregnancy test, then there’s — you know, we don’t have to report anything. If you — you know, once you get any like STD checks, things like that, then you would have to — and you’re old enough to where it wouldn’t be reported anyway.

CALLER: Okay. So you guys wouldn’t have to tell anybody that I –

CLINIC: No. No.

CALLER: If I wasn’t pregnant, do you guys have birth control there?

CLINIC: Yeah. But you would have to become a patient here, have an exam, and they could get you put on birth control

CALLER: Okay. But if I was on birth control you wouldn’t have to tell anybody?

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